It's Thanksgiving, and your mom has enlisted your help in making dessert. She has settled on pie, so the two of you get to work. You turn your back for one second before realizing a pie is missing from the lineup. There were 2 apples, 1 cherry, 1 pumpkin, and 1 blueberry. Unfortunately, the blueberry one is missing. You decide to go question your siblings and find out who knows something. They all claimed to be in their rooms at the time of the baking. You: Okay, who took it? We had 5 pies ready for the feast when everyone gets here and now we're down to 4. Do any of you know where the missing pie went? Wendy: What?! You're accusing me? I bet you ate it. You probably couldn't resist and are trying to frame us again! Damien: I don't know, check in Wally's room? You know how much he likes blueberry and apple pie, right? Tess: I'm allergic to blueberry, you know that! Mom had to warn me so I wouldn't eat it when the time came! Wally: Come on, I may like pie, but do you really think I would sneak behind Mommy's back and eat it? It's pretty clear to you who ate the pie. You tell your mom what they said and she gathered them all into the living room. "Okay," she said to you, "on the count of three, point to who you think did it. I'll do it too. One - two - three!" You and your mom point to the same person... who did you point to?
Pay close attention to the alibis and the clues hidden in their statements, especially the ones that seem too defensive or try to shift the focus away from themselves.
Damien. You may think it's Tess, but she would know about the flavor because your mom told her. But how would Damien know about it?
Which word is the odd one out: BAIL, FAIL, PAIL, RAIL, SAIL, TAIL?
Think about the words in a different context, like a physical object or a situation...
FAIL is the odd one out because it does not have a homophone. BAIL has BALE (like a bale of hay), PAIL has PALE, SAIL has SALE, TAIL has TALE, and RAIL has RALE. FAIL has FALE, which is not a real word, and therefore cannot be a homophone.
Jasmine was the worst student in her class. One day, her instructor, Mr. Collins, gave her a chance to stay in her class and not be expelled. He said, "Give me a statement. If the statement is true, you will not be expelled from the class. And if the statement is false, you will be expelled from the class. So, what do you say?". What should Jasmine say to stay in her class?
Think about a statement that, if true, would allow Jasmine to stay in the class, and if false, would result in her expulsion...
Jasmine should say, "I will be expelled from the class,". If we suppose that the statement is true, then Jasmine would not be expelled from the class. But then, it makes the statement false. And if we suppose that the statement is false, then Jasmine would be expelled from the class. But then, it makes the statement true. This phrase creates a paradox, as it cannot be true AND false at the same time.
A boy is five feet tall and records his height by hammering a nail in a tree and carving his hame. Five years later he returns to the same tree and finds that it has grown on average 16 inches per year.
How high now, is the nail from the ground?
Think about what's changing and what's not...
It is still five feet tall because only the top of the tree grows. The trunk only gets bigger by circumference.
The names of three trees are hidden in the sentences below. The letters are in consecutive order. Can you find them? On this farm, we get ham from a hog any time. The farmer will help in every possible way. He faced two very similar choices, both bad.
Hint: Look for common tree names that are also common words in everyday language.
A cop was walking past a restaurant when he heard someone scream - "No John, not the gun!" He ran inside and and saw a doctor, a lawyer, a milkman, and a dead body on the floor. He promptly walked over to the milkman and arrested him. He didn't witness the shooting and there was no apparent evidence to prove who shot the person and no one told him who the killer was.
How did the policeman instantly know it was the milkman?
The hint is: Think about the scream "No John, not the gun!" very carefully...
The milkman was the only male. The doctor and lawyer were females, so the cop knew that "John" was the milkman.
I know what my job is, The point has been made. You say I have a big head, And you're right, I'm afraid. Put me in my place, And then leave me alone. What I need most, Is someone to drive me home. What am I?
Think about an object that has a "head" or a prominent top part, and is often associated with a particular profession or activity. The phrase "put me in my place" might be a literal instruction...
A horse travels a certain distance each day. Strangely enough, two of its legs travel 30 miles each day and the other two legs travel nearly 31 miles. It would seem that two of the horse's legs must be one mile ahead of the other two legs, but of course, this can't be true, since the horse is normal. How is this possible?
Think about the direction the horse is traveling...
The horse operates a mill and travels in a circular clockwise direction. The two outside legs will travel a greater distance than the two inside legs.
There are four cards in front of you. You don't know the suits, but that's not important. Assume that all of the following statements are true: 1) There are no ace cards. 2) The difference between the third card and the first card is 8. 3) The difference between the fourth card and the second card is 7. 4) There are no face cards. 5) The card on the left cannot be greater than the card on the right. What are the four cards?
Pay attention to the "left" and "right" clues, and think about how the differences between the cards can help you determine their relative positions...
The card on the far left is a 2, the card next to it is a 3, then there is a 10, and there is a 10 next to the first 10 card. Hey, I didn't say there couldn't be any cards of the SAME value!
Jordan is leaving from a small town in Wyoming and hiking through the wilderness to a post where he will spend the summer. The hike will take Jordan six days. One man can only carry enough food and water for four days. Jordan cannot take a mule or any other animal to haul his food and water, because there will be insufficient food and supplies for the animals at his destination.
How can Jordan make it to his destination?
Think about what Jordan can do on the way back...
Jordan takes two other hikers with him. Each hiker starts out with a four day supply of food and water. After the first day, the first hiker gives a one day supply to each Jordan and the second hiker. This leaves the first hiker with a one day supply to go home and Jordan and the second hiker now each have a four day supply again. After the second day, the second hiker gives Jordan a one day supply and keep a two day supply for himself so that he can get home. This gives Jordan a four day supply of food and water, and now he has enough to reach his destination.
There are 50 horses and 50 kings riding along an old dirt road. They came to a peach tree with 50 peaches. Each took one, yet there were still 49 left. How is this possible?
Think about the riders, not the horses...
Each is the name of one of the kings and he's the only one that took one!
You are in a room that is completely bricked in on all four sides, including the ceiling and floor. You have nothing but a mirror and a wooden table in the room with you.
How do you get out?
Look closely at the mirror...
You look in the mirror you see what you saw, you take the saw and you cut the table in half, two halfs make a whole, and you climb out the hole.
How can this be true? Have a look at the picture. All the lines are straight, the shapes that make up the top picture are the same as the ones in the bottom picture so where does the gap come from?
"Think about the way the shapes are arranged, not just their individual forms..."
The green triangle has dimensions 2 x 5 and gradient 2 / 5 = 0.4 The red triangle has dimensions 3 x 8 and gradient 3 / 8 = 0.375 Hence the gradient of the green triangle is greater than that of the red triangle.
Eight years ago, Bill was eight times the age of his son Bill Jr. Today, if you add their ages together, they add up to 52. How old are Bill and his son?
Think about the relationship between Bill's age and his son's age 8 years ago, and how that relationship has changed over time...
Two wine merchants arrive at the gates of Paris. One has 64 and the other 20 barrels of wine. Since they have not enough money to pay the custom duties, the first pays 40 francs and 5 barrels of wine. The second pays 2 barrels of wine but receives 40 francs in change.
What is the value of each barrel of wine and what is the duty payable?
"Think about the total value of goods and duties paid by each merchant, and how they relate to each other..."
The value of a barrel is 120 francs and the duty is 10 francs a barrel.
The title of the problem tells you how to approach these four questions.
(A). A bus leaves Moscow for Tula at noon. An hour later a cyclist leaves Tula for mosco, moving slower than the bus. When the bus and cyclist meet, which one of the two will be farther from Moscow?
(B). Which is worth more: a pound of $10 gold peices or half a pound of $20 gold pieces?
(C). At six o'clock the wall clock struck 6 times. Checking with my watch, I noticed the time between the first and last strokes was 30 seconds. How long will the clock take to strike 12 at midnight?
(D). Three swallows fly outward from a point. When will they all be on the same plane in space?
Now check the answers. Did you fall into any of the traps which lurk in these simple problems?
"Read the title of the problem carefully... it's more than just a title."
(A). Neither
(B). A pound of metal is always more than half a pound of the same metal.
(C). Six strokes took 30 seconds, therefore 12 strokes will take 60 seconds. But when the clock struck six, there were only 5 intervals between strokes, and each interval was 30/5=6 seconds. Between the first and twelfth strokes there will be 11 intervals of 6 seconds each, therefore 12 strokes will take 66 seconds.
(D). There is always a plane that contains any 3 points
There is a brother and a sister. The boy wants to visit his father in jail, and the sister wants to visit her mother in the hospital. But they both are not allowed in the jail or hospital. All they have is a gun. What do they do?
Think about the situation where they are not allowed to visit their parents, but they have a gun... Perhaps they're not old enough to visit their parents alone?
The boy shoots the girl, and then the boy goes to jail for attempted murder and the girl goes to the hospital due to her injuries.
Endlessly, I hunger, Lazily, I sleep. Murderous, I thunder, Desires, I do seek. Hoarding countless treasures, so my stature I retain, Envious of others whose feet on Earth remain. What am I?
Think about a natural phenomenon that is often associated with power, wealth, and a strong desire for more...
"The Seven Deadly Sins" - Reasoning: Each sentence structure portrays one of the seven deadly sins from Christian theology, with the exception of the final 5 words. In order according to the riddle, these are; gluttony, sloth, wrath, lust, greed, pride and envy. The final 5 words, "whose feet on Earth remain", act in conjunction with the section on envy, demonstrating the perspective of a sinner in hell, who is envious of those still alive, and thus can still repent for their sins in order to enter Heaven.
You are driving a car. On your right is a steep cliff. Right in front of you there is a horse and right behind an elephant, both of which travel at your own speed. On your left there is a fire truck blocking you. How do you stop your car?
Think about where you are, and what's NOT moving...
There is a green house. Inside the green house, there is a white house Inside the white house there is a red house. Inside the red house, there are lots of babies. What is it?
It is a watermelon. Explanation: The skin of the watermelon is green (green house), the watermelon rind is white (white house), the watermelon flesh is red (red house), and the watermelon seeds located in the red flesh are the babies.
I come in many colors and I am very thin, I am found in every country, even in your home, I am very important, you can be very creative with me, I can even help you learn.
What am I?
Think about something you might find in a box or on a desk, used for a variety of purposes, from art projects to taking notes...
I can provide a blessing, a curse, or clarity. I am always running, but I am stuck in a loop. And though I will rule you for most of your life, you will always look up to me. What am I?
Think about something that can have a profound impact on your life, influencing your decisions and emotions, yet remains constant and unchanging in its own nature...
"A Clock" - Reasoning: Seeing the time on a clock can bring you relief, (e.g. your work shift nearly being over), a curse, (e.g. how long you still have left of a work shift), or simple clarification of what time it is. A clock is always running but always returns to where it began, to repeat. Thus, it is stuck in a loop. And as punching at work, appointments, taking to children to daycare, watching a film at the cinema, et cetera, all require you to be at a place at a certain time, time, which you read on a clock, does rule your life. The only exception is when you do not have a schedule to keep. And traditionally, clocks are usually placed on a wall, above eye level, so many people can look at it to see the time
I have four characteristics, durability, divisibility, transportability, and non-counterfeitability. What am I?
Think about something you might find in your wallet or purse, something that's used every day, and has these four important qualities that make it trustworthy and useful...
I am a holiday, of course, celebrated in December, I am celebrated until New Year, People who celebrate me are considered Evil by many Religions, what am I?
"Think of a winter holiday that's often associated with darkness, magic, and merriment, but is viewed with suspicion by some religious groups..."
I am at the beginning of all things. I am at the end of eternity. There is but one path from my beginning to my end. My whole embodies indifference.
What am I?
Think about a concept that has a clear starting point, an ultimate endpoint, and a singular progression from start to finish, while also representing a state of neutrality or impartiality.
You will find me with four legs, but no hair.
People ride me for hours, but I don't go anywhere.
Without needing to be tugged, jerked or turned on,
I always manage to be ready for work.
What am I?
Think about something you might find in a recreational room or a game room...
I was born in the 18th century, yet still live on today. Appearing on TV when I have something to say. Called everything from "honest" to a dirty rotten "crook", I used to wear a wig, but have had several looks. I've always had a party, but never disturb the neighbors. I've been shot at many times - major stories for the papers. What am I?
Think about a figure that has been represented in various ways over the centuries, often in a theatrical or dramatic sense, and has been associated with both positive and negative qualities...
It runs and runs but can never flee. It is often watched, yet never sees. When long it brings boredom, When short it brings fear.
What is it?
Think about something that moves or "runs" in a sense, but is confined to a specific path or route, and is often observed by others, but lacks the ability to observe itself...
Time, which is often watched when you stare at a clock.
"First think of the person who lives in disguise, Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies. Next, tell me what's always the last thing to mend, The middle of the middle and end of the end? And finally, give me the sound often heard During the search for a hard-to-find word. Now string them together, and answer me this, Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?"
"Think about the world of espionage, broken things, and language struggles..."
Take two numbers, such that the square of the first, plus the square of the second, shall equal 8; while the first, plus the product of the first and second, shall equal 6. What are the two numbers?
Think algebraically, and consider a system of equations involving x and y, where x and y are the two numbers. Pay close attention to the relationships between x, y, x^2, and y^2.
There once was a book that was only owned by the wealthy, but now everyone can have it. You can't buy it in a bookstore or take it from a library. What book is it?
Think about something that was once a luxury item, but with the advent of technology, has become accessible to everyone...
While sitting in his living room one evening, Jim thought he heard some voices outside. At that same moment, he observed a dark blur quickly pass by his window, just as daylight was fading. He saw it return to pass by his window a second, a third, and a fourth time. Thinking it must be a bird or a bat, Jim thought little of it, until about 20 minutes later when he saw the same blur pass by his window --- but this time it was a dull greenish color! He immediately jumped to his feet and ran to the window, just in time to see a glowing disk-shaped object hover, and then land on top of his neighbor's roof where it remained motionless. Jim watched for a long time, as it slowly began to lose its glow. He considered calling the police to report a possible U.F.O. sighting, but he didn't want to risk becoming a "community crackpot", so he decided instead to wait until morning to see if the strange, glowing craft remained on the roof where it had landed. What do you suppose Jim saw on his neighbor’s roof the next morning?
Think about something that can change color, is often seen flying, and might be found on a roof...
The "U.F.O." Jim had seen was a black frisbee two kids had been throwing in his back yard. As it began to get dark, they switched to a glow-in-the-dark frisbee to see it better. Unfortunately, the first time they threw it, they quickly ran off, as they saw they had thrown it onto the neighbor's roof, and they didn't want to get into trouble.
Whiling away the hours of flowers, Walking through fields of gold. Preening and pruning in lights fading hours, For petals to freeze in the cold. What is it?
"Think about a seasonal activity that prepares something beautiful for a specific time of year..."
"The Four Seasons" - Reasoning: This riddle takes the perspective of plant life during these times of the year, where each line represents one of the four seasons of the year; Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Spring - where flowers are blooming - Summer - where fields of farm crop mature and turn golden in colour, before being harvested - Autumn - where the tree's shed their leaves and days grow shorter - and Winter - where the cold leaves frost and freezes plants.
Pregnant every time you see her, yet she never will give birth. What is it?
Think about a common, everyday situation where you might see a "her" that's always "pregnant" but never actually gives birth... It's not a living thing!
I dig out tiny caves and store gold and silver in them. I also build bridges of silver and make crowns of gold. They are the smallest you could imagine. Sooner or later everybody needs my help, yet many people are afraid to let me help them. Who am I?
Think about a profession that involves working with precious metals and is often associated with a mixture of fear and necessity...
Every month someone dies, and there are five suspects. The suspects are, Jason, Lily, Nathan, Elizabeth, and Erin, and the months of the murders are July, August, September, October, and November. Who's the murderer?
Think about the names of the months and the names of the suspects... there's a clever connection between them.
Jason. J, July. A, August. S, September. O, October. N, November.